Micro & Immunology · single question
Which bacterium on the dental biofilm is responsible for 'bridging' early and late colonizers?
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Correct answer: C. Fusobacterium nucleatum
✓ C) Fusobacterium nucleatum is correct.
Fusobacterium nucleatum is the key 'bridge' organism in dental biofilm development. Early colonizers (Streptococcus, Actinomyces) attach to the acquired pellicle. Late colonizers (Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, Tannerella forsythia — the red complex) need a bridge. F. nucleatum coaggregates with BOTH early and late colonizers through surface adhesins, enabling the transition from a simple supragingival plaque to a complex subgingival pathogenic biofilm.
Fusobacterium nucleatum is the key 'bridge' organism in dental biofilm development. Early colonizers (Streptococcus, Actinomyces) attach to the acquired pellicle. Late colonizers (Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, Tannerella forsythia — the red complex) need a bridge. F. nucleatum coaggregates with BOTH early and late colonizers through surface adhesins, enabling the transition from a simple supragingival plaque to a complex subgingival pathogenic biofilm.
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